Moving On
by clicketykeys
Summary: Corso gets a visit from a VERY unexpected guest. [Warning - major character death]
Corso couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this alert right when he'd woken up. The years had snuck up on him gradually, and he'd gotten used to moving a bit slower and planning things out a bit more. Especially after the fall he'd taken at Rossi's graduation. The kids had been fussing about him and Vacy taking unnecessary risks for some time. His injuries, combined with the amount of time it'd taken him to recover, had finally made him think that maybe the galaxy was trying to tell him they were right.

He looked down at his wife, curled up on her side. Her silvery-grey hair lay in feathery waves across her pillow, and her jaw hung slightly open. The soft in-and-out hiss of her breath was occasionally punctuated with a raspy snore. She claimed she didn't, that HE was the one who snored, but she was always quick to reassure him that it wasn't at all bad, and really, wasn't snoring kind of a manly thing anyhow?

He'd never loved her more.

He was debating whether to sneak off and surprise her with pancakes or to snuggle back under the covers some more when the door to their bedroom opened. Corso stood, his hand going to his hip - which of course had nothing more dangerous than the drawstring to his pajama pants. But the person who walked in wasn't aiming a blaster at them (thank goodness). And a moment later, Corso staggered backward, his throat tight as he realized who it was.

"Da?" He took a shaky breath, rubbing a hand over his face. Maybe he hadn't actually woken up. Maybe he was still dreaming. But when he looked again, his father was still there.

The man smiled, looking just like Corso remembered him. "Good t'see ya again, squirt."

"Yeah..." Corso sat down slowly, trying to make sense of what was happening. "I've missed you. You an' Mum both." He looked over at his wife, still sound asleep. "I've often wondered what you'd've thought of Vee. Wished you could've met her."

With a chuckle, he nodded. "You've certainly done well by her. Your kids, too. We're proud of the lot of you. I know you had your troubles now'n again, but overall, we couldn't've wished a better life for you."

Corso swallowed, looking up at his father uncertainly. "So... does this mean it's over, then?"

Franton Riggs let out a sigh and walked over to his son. "Not exactly. You're not doin' so well, but if you'd like to try to stay on a bit longer, you can give it a go. Wouldn't be easy, but it might be possible."

"I don't want to be a burden on nobody, but..." Sighing, Corso looked back at Vacy. "I ain't ready to leave her behind yet."

Laughter rumbled forth from his father. "Of course you're not. Don't know that you ever will be." He chuckled a bit more, shaking his head.

Corso watched him, frowning. "So - wait - have you been here before? Has this happened before?"

"Oh my yes. You've had this choice quite a few times before. Your mum an' I have a bet goin' to see how long the two of you can tough it out. Neither of you's willing to go anywhere without t'other'n." His smile was warm and gentle. "Can't say I much blame you."

"But I don't remember any of that."

The other man let out a sigh. "I know. That's the down side to going back. You won't remember any of this. Well, that, and that there ain't any guarantee you'll make it. Your body'll be fightin', though. Might pull through again. Might not this time."

Corso nodded slowly. "And if I don't go back? What happens then? Do I go with you instead? I mean, are you even really here? Or is this just somethin' I'm imagining?" His father chuckled again, and Corso rubbed at his forehead. "I've asked that before, ain't I?"

Grinning, he nodded. "Aye, just about every time. Don't fret too much about it, though. It's a sensible question. Lots of folks figure that once't you die, that's it. But as it happens, we've still got the opportunity to do some good for the Republic... so to speak." He held up his hands as Corso started to interject. "I know, I know, always told you it was better to stay out of it. But I've seen some of what the Emperor has done. He's not a person anymore - more like a disease that's infected our galaxy. Hate, fear, and despair give him power. It'll make more sense when you see what we're doing."

"It's important, then?" Corso looked down at his wife, then back at his father.

He nodded again, slowly. "Most important work we've ever done." He watched his son for a few moments, then walked over and sat down beside him. "You can still come back to visit. See how they're doing."

Corso shook his head. "Wouldn't be the same. You know that." He was silent awhile, then asked, "Couldn't - I mean - would she maybe be able to come along?"

Franton hesitated. "I don't rightly know. Why don't you see if you can wake her up? If she can see me, that might mean she could come too."

"Here's hopin'." Corso leaned over and brushed a kiss against Vacy's forehead. She let out a contented little grumble and snuggled closer toward him. "Hey," he murmured. When she blinked up at him, he smiled. "Vee, there's someone here I'd like you to meet."

Vacy looked over at the space where Corso gestured. She blinked. Then she looked at her husband. "What in blazes are you on about? _What_ are you thinking?"

His shoulders drooped, until she reached over and smacked his arm.

"Why is someone in our bedroom? And you didn't wake me up first and let me fix my hair or -" She looked down at herself and her eyes widened. "Oh hell." Looking up at Franton, she offered a bright smile. "I am /so/ sorry, sir. I had no idea we were expecting guests." Though she was the very picture of abashed courtesy, her tone had a sharp edge to it, and the glance at Corso a moment later carried the very clear message: 'you are in serious trouble, mister.'

But he couldn't stop smiling. Leaning over again, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, and kissed her cheek. "Hey, snoozypuss," he murmured, nuzzling at her gently. "It's okay. He won't mind your ratty ol' jammies. He's family." His eyes shining, he took a breath. "This is my da."

She looked to Franton, then back at Corso. Then again. "Cor, you... you said... I mean... how is he here? And why? Is this..." The confusion in her eyes gave way to worry.

He reached down and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Da says there's more yet, Vee. There's other things to do. Things that can't be done here. Ways to work against th' Emperor."

Vacy shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "No. No! I don't care about the Empire or the Emperor or the Sith or any of it any more." She wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his shoulder. "I just want /you/," she whispered, her words muffled against his shirt.

Corso wasn't sure how long he just sat there holding her. Would he still be able to, if they agreed to go now? Could ghosts touch each other? Kiss? Do... well... other sorts of things? It wasn't the sort of thing he ever going to ask his father, no matter how badly he wanted to know. And of course, if he didn't go along willingly, that was no guarantee he'd make it through.

Once it felt like she'd calmed down enough that maybe she'd listen (maybe), he pulled back a bit, reached down, and tilted her chin up so she'd look at him. "Hey. Da says maybe we could do it together."

She blinked. Her eyes were puffy. Her nose was red and dribbling. The lines in her cheeks were deeper than they'd ever been, and her upper lids sagged. "Both of us?" she whispered.

He smiled a little. She was beautiful. "Yeah," he whispered back.

Vacy looked over at Franton again. "What do you need us to do?"

He let out a quiet sigh of relief. If there was one thing he hadn't been looking forward to, it was seeing one of them separated from the other. "We've found that the Emperor has been able to extend his reach farther than we'd imagined possible for a living being. There are worlds past known space, places we can't travel even in our fastest ships with the most advanced hyperspace engines. And somehow he has been able to cast a shadow on these worlds."

Franton stood, walking across the room, his gaze distant as he continued to explain. "His power is so vast, and so dark, that none of us, alone, would be strong enough to do anything that mattered. But together..." He turned to them again, smiling broadly. "Together, we are many. And we are stronger than he is. And we /will/ defeat him."

"Each of us has a small role to play. Small, yet important," he explained. "You would be protecting a woman who has been targeted by the Emperor. Not directly, or she would already have been destroyed. But her world is a little darker, her days more dreary, because she lives under that shadow."

Corso shook his head. "But what can we do?"

"It don't seem like much," Franton admitted. "She won't never know you're there. Not for certain. But while you can't be seen, and your voice will be silent, she'll be able to sense your words in her heart. Your hand of comfort on her shoulder will give her strength on her hardest days. And with your help, she'll make it through."

Vacy looked up at Corso and sighed when she saw his expression. "Don't even know who this lady is," she grumbled.

But he was already in full Save-the-Day mode. "But she _needs_ us, Vee!" he protested.

"Our children need us!" Vacy snapped back, though it didn't have the oomph of a real retort.

Corso rolled his eyes. "Our children are grown. _Their_ children are grown, practically." He leaned in and bumped her shoulder with his. "Think it's time we let them live their own lives. We can still come back and look in on them every now'n ag'in."

She folded her arms. "Won't be the same." Her lower lip poked out as she sulked a bit. But Corso just waited silently, and at last she let out a huffy sigh. "All right."

His eyes lit up and he beamed at her, pulling her close for a long, deep kiss.

"All right, you two." Franton chuckled, shaking his head. "Gracious! It's a wonder you didn't end up with a dozen younglings, the way you carry on."

Vacy let out a contented purr and smiled up at her husband. "Oh. I think things turned out just about right," she said quietly. They stayed like that, cradled together for a few moments more. But eventually she stood up, pulling Corso by the hand. "C'mon, handsome. Sounds like there's some derring-do that needs done."

He laughed, running a hand through his grizzled locs. "Right behind you, Captain."

And as they followed Corso's father out of the room, the hallway seemed to stretch farther than it ever had. The air shone with a strange brightness that became more and more intense, until the only thing that seemed real was the light and the love.


End file.
